Pulling Door Panels...

Just a quick post on pulling door panels. I picked up some spare doors (for the glass) and needed to remove the door panels first. Getting the old Ford panels off can easily result in damage if you aren't careful due to the substrate being a low-density fiberboard that is prone to tearing and readily absorbs water which weakens it.

This picture shows a technique you can use to pop the spring clips without tearing out the mounting holes. You get the putty knife (or similar) as close to the clip as you can, and pry against the PUTTY KNIFE ONLY with a wide, flat-bladed screwdriver as close to the clip as you can.

I personally like to start at a lower corner and work my way across the bottom, and then up either side for the best results. One last note ... be sure any fasteners, door pulls, window cranks, or any other item that will prevent remove of the panel has been removed first or you can stress or crack the panel.